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Be A Blessing:
Naaman's Slave Girl
Video version below.
This little slave girl only gets two verses of Scripture, but what a message on how to be a blessing they bring!
Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:2-3, NIV
This girl is amazing. Think about her story for a moment.
There she was a young girl in Israel. Like every young girl, she had her friends and her dreams of the future. Then suddenly, one day, it was all shattered. Was she out walking and was she in the wrong place at the wrong time when the raiders came by? Did her parents spend the rest of their lives wondering what had happened to her? Or was her town raided and her parents maybe killed in front of her? We have no way of knowing. But whatever the details, it was a traumatic and life-changing event that swept her from a free-born Israelite to a slave girl in a foreign country.
How would you have felt? Bitter? Angry? Resentful? Would you keep believing in God or would you turn your back on Him for allowing these horrible things to happen to you? What would have been your response?
This young girl kept her faith. She knew she served the living God. At some level, she had a grasp of the goodness and sovereignty of God. Somehow God was at work. She could continue to love Him and serve others no matter what her circumstances. How do we know this was her attitude? By her actions.
Consider. One day, as she is going about her duties, she overheard her mistress talking to her husband, Naaman. Naaman - if not the man who had captured her, certainly was the one who had bought her - had a problem. He had developed leprosy. Although the commander of the army, he was about to be cut off from people to prevent the contagious disease from spreading. His future was darker than hers. His wife was in tears. Her life, too, was shattered.
If you were this young girl, what thoughts would go through your head? Thoughts of blessing? I know what I would be thinking. Serves you right. God is judging you for what you have done to me and others. Maybe a less skilled commander will take your place.
I Can Be A Blessing!
If those thoughts flashed through her mind they were quickly dispelled. We can see her mind working. My mistress’ husband has a problem and I know the answer. I can help. I can be a blessing. It seems as if she rushed to her mistress the first time she saw her alone and blurted out, “I know who can help! There is a prophet who can cure him! You don’t need to cry anymore!”
And there is no attempt at blackmail - “I’ll tell you, if you let me go.” It is free, spontaneous. It was a joy to help, to serve, to be a blessing. This young girl had accepted God’s will for her life and was joyfully doing her best where she was in spite of the circumstances.
Is this what Jesus meant when He said we were to love our enemies? Are we to follow the example of the girl whose name we will never know and yet has received a place in Scripture? Are we to joyfully bless others without considering how they may have hurt us?
We can learn from this young Israelite girl. We all face circumstances - sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently - that are unpleasant. Sometimes they are life-altering. This little girl leads the way. Love God, trust Him, and be a blessing to all those around. This is not possible if we are living in bitterness, anger or self-pity. Let us realize, God is in control. He only does good. Therefore, good must ultimately come out of our situation - if we will maintain our relationship with Jesus and a healthy attitude.
Biblical References
2 Kings 5:2-3
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